Sab ah j



(No Model.)

J. P. KETTELL, Deod.

S. J. KETTELL, Administratrix. ELECTRIC DEVICE FOR SETTING CLOCKS.

'.No. 333,133. I ented Dec. 29, 1885 N. PETERS, Pnutn-Lilhnprupher.Washington. D, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. KETTELL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS; SARAH J. KETTELL,ADMfNISTRATRIX OF SAID JAMES F. KETTELL, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR OFONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES NV. SHERBURNE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC DEVICE FOR SETTING CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,133, dated December29, 1885.

Application filed June 16. 1884. Serial No. 135,037. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES F. KETTELL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of\Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Synchronizing Clocks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention,such as will enable others skilled in to the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for setting any one orall of the hands of a clock by the employment of electricity,

and also to instantly shunt the electric circuit, which controls thesynchronizing of the clocks, upon the clocks being set. Mechanical meansare employed to set the clocks, and the electric current merely controlsor regulates the times at wh ch the mechanism shall be operated. A greatnumber of clocks may thus be successfully set by the employment of acomparatively low battery-power.

To accomplish these objects my improve- Inent consists in a new meansfor setting the hands of the clock.

It also consists in the employment of a novel shunt-circuit at eachclock in connection with the line-Wire, whereby the line-Wire may beused for telegraphic or telephonic purposes, except at a certain briefinterval or intervals of the day.

My invention further consists of a novel arrangement for instantlyshort-circuiting the line-wire while the setting mechanism is inoperation, whereby the train of gears is prevented from running downshould the batterypower be unduly thrown upon the lines in an opencircuit, and in a closed circuit to pre- 0 vent the same effect by anaccidental or undue breaking of the current immediately after thesetting of the hands shall have been accomplished.

The drawings herewith illustrate this construction.

Figure l is an elevation of a clock-work having my improvements appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the second-hand and arbor, showingthe friction-pinion attached.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the clock-frame and train of anordinary spring or weight driven time-piece. It is provided with ainechanically-operating setting mechanism for both the minute and secondhands, and indirectly the hour-hand, and which is controlled byelectricity.

The device consisting of the double lever a, keyed to the min ute-handarbor, the bifurcated slide b, for operating the lever a, andtheelectro-magnet o and connecting mechanism for imparting a reciprocatingmovement to the slide, are set forth in a patent granted to me December25, 1883, and also in an application filed January 17, 1884., nowpending. They need not therefore be particularly shown or described.

Connected to the slide 12 is a device for short-circuiting theline-Wire, except at predetermined periods, When the line-wireconnection is made, and upon the setting of the o clocks instantlyshort-circuiting the line till the clocks are required to be set again.This device comprises the lever d, pivoted to the frame at e. A pin, f,on the slide 12 forces it to the right when the slide is operated, and aspring, 9, working against a pin on lever d, serves to retract it,together with slide 6.

h is a rock-lever pivoted to the frame, one arm of which carries an arm,2', the outer end of which has normally a tendency to spring upward.Keyed to the same pivot-shaft as the lever h is an extension-arm, Z,arranged to be operated by a pin, j, on the lever d. A weighted arm, k,is keyed to the same pivot-shaft and forms one electrode of a cut-out,B. Upon either the minute orhour gear-wheelm is a pin or stud, 12,arranged to contact the spring-arm isoine time before the clock is to beset.

The drawings show the setting impulse to have just been received by theclock at the in- 0 stant before the line is automaticallyshort-circuited. The throwing in of the line-wire and the cutting out ofthe short circuit do not take place until the pin a has forced down thearm t, so that thelatter bears against theledge 5 0 on the rock-lever h.The continued movement of the pin against this lever raises theelectrode is of the cut-out B from contact with the other electrodep, asshown in the drawings, and throws the line-wire in direct connectionwith the magnet c. In this position the clock is ready to receivetheliberating impulse to its setting mechanism. When this impulse isreceived and the slide b and lever d are moved, the pin j of the latterstrikes the arm Z,which, 'imparting,as it does, a still further movementto the lever h, withdraws the arm 6 from contact with the pin n, whenthe weighted electrode It will contact electrode 10 and the shuntcircuitwill be instantly re established.

Acting simultaneously with the setting of the minutehand and thereestablishment of the short circuit upon the line is a device forsetting the second'hand g by the same motive power. To effect thisobject a pawldevice, r, is mounted upon the lever d. s is a gearcarrying upon the same shafta ratchet-wheel 0perated upon by the pawl0". Instead of the ratchet-wheel a series of pins attached to the gearmay be used. The second-hand arbor t carries africtionalspringclutch-piniormt,carrying the hand q. The spring 1; holds the pinion andhand normally against the arbor with a frictional contact sufficient toturn the hand with its arbor. Thisis effected by the arrangement ofrthespiral spring upon the arbor between the pinion and the frame of theclock,where it has a constant normal tendency to force the loose pinionand its hand against a button or washer 2, which is keyed to the arborand revolves with it; but when the setting mechanism is operated thisarrangement allows of the hand being set independent of its arbor.- Thepawl r is swiveled,and normally rests against a pin, w, on the lever.

The arrangement andrelat'ive dimensions of the ratchet-gear and pinionfor setting the second-hand are such that whenever the device isoperated the second-hand will be set to 60 on the dial, no matter inwhat position the hand may be before the device was actuated.

Instead of a separate slide, 1), and lever d, they may be combined inone to do the work required.

What I claim is 1. Inaclock-synchronizing system, in which the train ofeach clockcarriesj its own setting mechanism, a short-circuit cut-outfor controlling the setting mechanism, provided with means,substantially as described, for reestablishing theshunt-cirouit withoutperceptible interval upon the setting of the hands of the clock.

2. In a clock-synchronizing system a hand having a frictionalclutch-pinion,-anda second gear connected therewith provided withactuating devices, substantially as described, whereby the latter gearis rotated to that degree which will set the clutch-pinion and its handto the required point upon the dial.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. KETTELL.

